Ro Water?

[m1k3]

First newbie question .....I have heard a lot about how good and pure RO water is ...is it suitable for tropical fish

 

[jarmado]

yup.


what type of fish do you have in your tank?

 

[m1k3]

5 Cardinals and 1 Neon Tetra ( was supposed to have been 6 Cardinals )
2 Corydoras
1 Red tailed Shark
I know the Cardinals probably weren't the best choice of fish to start with, but it was my Grandson who wanted them
TBH I am just glad to have a tank up and running again, what's in it is somewhat irrelevant... As long as they are well and as happy as I can make them B)

 

[jarmado]

i think you can do without using RO water.
what are the readings on your tapwater like nitrates, ph and hardness?

 

[m1k3]

I already have access to an RO water supply, so that isn't a problem.
My tap water has a PH of around 8.3, I must be honest and say I haven't checked it for nitrates.. I have just checked my tank and it is running Ammonia = 0, Nitrites =>0.3, Nitrates seem a little high at about 50 mg/l

 

[jarmado]

I already have access to an RO water supply, so that isn't a problem.
My tap water has a PH of around 8.3, I must be honest and say I haven't checked it for nitrates.. I have just checked my tank and it is running Ammonia = 0, Nitrites =>0.3, Nitrates seem a little high at about 50 mg/l

is your tank still cycling?
nitrite should be zero.

if you already have access to RO then it's up to you if you still want to use it.
i heard that it produces more waste water than useable water.

 

[Ginge]

Nitrates are a little high but not to worry too much i wouldnt want it to be reading 0.3 nitrites thought you shouldnt see any. When were the fish added?

 

[m1k3]

Nitrites read (less than) 0.3 thats the lowest value my Tetra test kit goes down to.
No I don't think my tank is still cycling ..it's been running for about 3 months now
Yes it does produce more waste water than product.. My tap water has 207 ppt of total dissolved solids, that is all the cr*p from the addatives the water companies put in, the stuff in all the old pipes, all the stuff that is honestly NO good for you.. the produced RO water is totally pure with a reading of 000 disolved solids
Fish have been in for about a month.

 

[jarmado]

Nitrites read (less than) 0.3 thats the lowest value my Tetra test kit goes down to.
No I don't think my tank is still cycling ..it's been running for about 3 months now
Yes it does produce more waste water than product.. My tap water has 207 ppt of total dissolved solids, that is all the cr*p from the addatives the water companies put in, the stuff in all the old pipes, all the stuff that is honestly NO good for you.. the produced RO water is totally pure with a reading of 000 disolved solids

you might need some chemicals to put some minerals back into the RO water.
minerals that your fish might need.
do you use your RO as your drinking water?

 

[m1k3]

No we don't.... ..we go out and buy bottled water. Hehe go figure eh? we go out and pay ££'s for a system to produce pure water then don't use it

 

[jarmado]

No we don't.... ..we go out and buy bottled water. Hehe go figure eh? we go out and pay ££'s for a system to produce pure water then don't use it

i read somewhere that RO is not safe for drinking anyway.

 

[k.o.d]

If you use nothing but RO water your fish will wither and die, tap water contains minerals and elements that are used by the inhabitants of your tank for development, pure RO water has none of this and also has no buffering capability ( the capability to maintain a stable pH ) and is therefore subject to pH crashes, which are bad for your fish.
kent do a product called RO rite ( other companies do a similar thing ) this will rebuffer your water without adding the other impurities, RO water theoretically should have a pH of 7 but it absorbs CO2 from the athmosphere and becomes acid.

 

[m1k3]

Thanks for that k.o.d. I wouldn't want to cause my little friends any hardships. And thanx to everyone who answered. It has been much appreciated

 

[Majjie]

Lots of people swear by RO water for drinking - reckon it tastes much better than tap or bottled water.
Never tried it myself though I think safety depends on the type of RO system - some are designed to produce drinking water.

I think your fishy friends would be very pleased with some RO water - as long as you diluted it 50:50 with your tap water. That way they'd get enough minerals and your tap water would give you the additional buffering.